Pneumatic self-playing musical instrument.



Patented June 11, 1918.

NVLNTO fl TTORNE x L. B. DOMAN. PNEUMAHC SELF FLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l4, 1916. 1,269,407.

m IZWKMJ s'r s PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS 1B. DOMAIN, OF EAST SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMPHION PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I "Lewis BQ DoMAn, a citiz'enofthe United States of America, and resident of East Syracuse, in the county f of Onondaga? in, the state of- New York,

have invented new and useful Im rovements in Pneumatic I Self-Playing- L usical Instruments of which the following, taken in connebtion with the accompan "n'g drawinfis, is s"- fu-ll,f clear, and exact escription.

1 his invention relates to certain improvenie'nts 'in'pneumatiw self-playing musical instruments and more particularly to edal- 0 'ei'ated means" for modifying at will the wa er expression of the i musical selectionfbein played, and is somewhat similar tothat 's own inmyPatentN o. 912,939, issued" 'February'16, 1909, except that in the present-{ application means is provided foiflpreventing excessive resistance or suddenvstep age of the pedals whenoperate'd 1mpulsively"toprdduce' louder tones or acceii'tii'a'tion'tfparticular noteswr chords. 'I'n the-pawns referred to,' th tone m'odulation was roduced through the medium oi a nonmllg epea vaive in the cojnnectihn eases the virinid ch'e s't and' equali'zer arrafigedsd a es niovejto'ward 'o'rto its closed position against the "action of its retractm meausfiby1i1creased jaii"tension in the win cliestiproducd by ls'udd'en or impulsive atioii'bfjthe pumpin bellows, the result (if-""Whiiili waste cause accentuat'ion of certam-snows or chords' by cutting out-the e ualizer and throw the full force of the pumpingdiellows into the pneumatic keyhc'tioii; and in many instances, particularly yvhenhnly'-one note-perforation" was rgisfierecl with the corresponding tracker ducts, theair'tension in the pum ing'bellow'siand wind chest would great y exceed that of the vent through such perforation and would thereby produce excessive resistanceto the action of the pedals and con- Se nt shock to theoperator.

ll lie main object of my present invention is to overcome these ob ections through the medium of a secondary pneumatic of relatively smaller capacity than that of the equalizer,' but. in direct communication with the wind-chest in combination .with a normally closed valve in the main connection between the wind-chest and equalizer and a comparatively small by-pass around said valve. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applioationflcd February 14 1916.

Patented June 11, 1918.

Serial No. 78,173.

Another object is to provide means for varying the size of the bypass.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

The drawing represents a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a pedal-operated \vind-inducing-device, including the equalizer and myimproved means for preventing excessive resistance to the operation of thepedals under impulsive action.

The wind inducing device comprises a wind-chest 1 communicating through a passage -2 with a pumping bellows -3 having its movable side, as 4, connected by a link5 to a suitable pedal -6, whereby the bellows 3 is distended against the action of the usual retracting spring, notshown, by the downward move' ment of the pedal.

The-bellows "3 is provided with suitable ports'-7- and a check valve 8- arraiigedso as-to allow-the air to leave the bellows when'collapsed and to prevent the entrance of airwhen distended, the port -2 being also provided with a check valve 9*uarran ed to open when the bellows 3 is c listended and to close wh'en it is collapsed, thereby causing the air= to'be drawn out of the wind-chest and pneumatic key-action, not shown, butl-connected to the windchest by a pipe ;10.

"An equalizer l1 is secured to one side of the wind-chest -l and is connected to'the"interior thereof by a relatively large main port '12-- and a relatively smaller by-p'ass' l3, the equalizer being normally distended by the action of a retract ing spring 14-.

The main port 12 is normally closed by agche'ckvalve -15 which only opens during the distention of the equalizer by thejspring -14' so as to allow said equalizer to assist'in withdrawing air from the pneumatic action during the brief interval of retraction of the pumping bellows.

The relatively small by-pass 13- is always open, but is further restricted in size to any degree desired by an adjustable needle valve'l6, the object of the bypass being to maintain a partial vacuum in the equalizer at all times during the operation of the pumping bellows 3-.

A secondary bellows l7 of relatively smaller capacity than the equalizer -llis connected by an open port 18- to the interior of the wind-chest 1 and is, therefore, under the direct influence of varying degrees of air tension in thB windchest as determined by the pumpin device.

The by-pass --13 is much smafier than either the port -18- or pipe 10- so as to render the player action, not shown, sensitively responsive to the slightest variation of air tension in the wind-chest as produced by corresponding variations in the speed or force of action of the pumping device, whereby the tone modulation or expression may be controlled at will solely by a proper manipulation of the pedals.

That is, a slow steady movement of the pedals will produce relatively soft tones or pianissimo effects without appreciably affecting the normal positions of either of the neumatics -11-- or 17-, owing to the resistance of their respective springs 14- and 19'-, but as .the speed of action of the pedals is gradually increased, the loudness of tone will be correspondingly increased through the varying grades to fortissimo effects, durin which action the air may be gradually ex austed from the main equalizer through the restricted passage 13- tendin to collapse said equalizer against the actlon of its spring '1.4 which, upon the slightest reduction of air pressure in the wind-chest or action, reacts to distend the equalizer, thereby allowing the valve v1,5-- to open to compensate for the reduction, of

air tension in the wind-chest and action in case the action of the pumping bellows should be temporarily interrupted.

It is evident, however, that with the restricted passage .13- and without the use of the secondary pneumatic -17-, if the pedals were operated suddenly or impulsively for accenting particular notes or chords, the air tension in the wind-chest and player-action would instantly become so great as to resist further action of the pedals, thereby producing more or less shock to the operator, but in order to overcome this, I have provided the secondary pneumatic -17 with a distending spring 19 of sufiicient tension to resist collapse under an air tension below that which is necessary to produce such fortissimo efl'ects.

It, therefore, follows that when the pumpin device is operated under sudden impu ses :Eor accenting individual notes or chords, the excessive resistance to the operation of thepumping device would be instantly relieved by withdrawing the air from the secondary pneumatic, which, being of relatively smal capacity, does not detract from the force of the increased air tension upon the player-action, it being understood that the accentuation depends upon quick movement of the pedal and that the secondary pneumatic -l7 is distended by the spring 19- instantly upon the cessation of such movement, and also that the restricted passage -'1 3 is too small to permit any effect of a sudden increase in air tension in the wind-chest and player-action upon the equalizer'1i-.'

The relative locations of the equalizer and secondary pneumatic with reference to the wind-chest, .0r wind-inducing device is immaterial so longas they are both connected in suclrmanner as \to be influenced by the action of the pumping bellows or air tension produced thereby, the v spring -19 of the secondary pneumatioconstituting means for ,distending said pneumatic with greater force than that of the air tension necessary to partially collapse the equalizer,

In operation when the pumping device, is

operated steadily at any rate of speed .according to theexpressaon which it isyzdesired to produce, a more or less,constant flow of air will take place from the equalizer to. the windrhestitending to collapsethe equalizer to a greater or less extent according to the demands made upon the air tension by the player-action, it being understood, that in case a=considerablenumber of,

player neumatics should be in action at once, the distention of the equalizer by its, spring lerwould. assist in maintaining the desired degree of air tension by withdrawing the air from. the air-chest through the port rl2- and the then open valve During this steady operation of the pumping device, the resistance of the spring l9 will prevent the collapse of the, Secondary pneumatic 7+1 ,wh1ch servesas a reservoir and auxiliary equalizer in preventing a sudden increase of .air tension inthe wind-inducing device beyond apentain degree during a sudden depression of the pedals by allowing the air to .be drawn therefrom is Y thecincreased tension in .the windchest tirough the port 18-, thusallowing the pedals to be easily depressed without perceptible shock to the operator whenever it is desired to .accent individual notes or chords above 'the normal expression as controlled by the normal action of the pumping bellows. v,

What I claim is:

1. Ina pneumatic self-playing musicalinstrument, the combination of a pedal-o erated wind-inducing device, a wind-c est having means for communication with a sound-producing action, a tension-equalizer directly connected through a restricted constantly open passage with the wind-chest to permitthe tension in the action to be increased over that in' the equalizer by sudden or rapid action of the pedals, and a secondary pneumatic in direct constantly open communication with the wind-chest for. preventing excessive air-tension resistance or shock when the pedals are operated quickly for accenting purposes.

2. In a pneumatic self-playing musical instrument, the combination of a pedal-o erated Wind-inducing device, a wind-c est having means for communication with a sound-producing action, a tension-e ualizer directl connected with the win -chest through a restricted constantly open passage and through a separate relatively larger passage, a normally closed check valve for the larger passage adapted to open when In Witness whereof I have hereunto set 20 my hand this 11 day of February, 1916.

LEWIS B. DOMAN.

Witnesses:

ANNA H. MILLER, MARGARET M. BROWN.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of l'atentl, Waahlnrton, D. 0." 

